1. Technical Field
This invention relates to message boards and, more particularly, to an electronic message board for vehicles for allowing a driver of an existing vehicle to convey a predetermined visual message to another driver of another existing vehicle during driving conditions.
2. Prior Art
Americans, more than any other nationality, rely on the automobile as the primary means of transportation and our roads and highways are becoming increasingly congested. One of the more disturbing developments that have evolved as a result of the increased traffic and congestion on roads and highways has been a much higher incidence of confrontational incidents, many of a violent nature, between motorists. There have even been a number of random shootings on freeways, evidently spurred on only by the frustration and anger experienced by drivers, manifested by the violent act of willfully committing a very serious crime, a crime which could lead to accidents, injury, or death.
Federal and local authorities are very concerned with the violent trends being exhibited by more and more motorists but are basically at a loss as to what to do to alleviate this situation as the crux of this behavior is directly related to congested traffic conditions and there are no ready solutions which can be implemented in a reasonably short time. Many plans to reduce traffic congestion are being considered but all of these plans will take time, a matter of years, to be developed and implemented. Obviously, it would be advantageous to provide a means for promoting courtesy between drivers and to encourage better cooperation among motorists.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,574,269 to Miller discloses a visual communicator for a rear window of a vehicle. The communicator is semi-transparent and adapted to be disposed in the rear window of the vehicle for viewing from outside of the vehicle. The degree of transparency is such as to accommodate normal use of an inside rearview mirror of the vehicle by a driver of the vehicle. The communicator also includes a message display unit including a plurality of light emitting diodes comprises in a matrix arrangement and disposed in a limited discrete portion of the rear window. The light emitting diodes are selectively energizable to emit light in the form of a message. The communicator further includes a message control unit operationally interconnected to the light emitting diodes for selectively energizing the light emitting diodes. The message control unit is programmed to energize the light emitting diodes in any one of a plurality of preselected patterns. With this arrangement, the preselected patterns form messages for viewing from outside of the vehicle upon selective actuation of the message control unit. Unfortunately, this prior art example is not designed to be displayed with the push of a button.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,751,212 to Findley discloses a signaling device that provides a means for signaling an operator of a vehicle that the lights of that vehicle are distracting and annoying to an operator of another vehicle. The signaling device includes at least one display member having a message, such as “DIM LIGHTS”, positioned thereon for conveying the message to the operator of the vehicle. The message may be constructed from a reflective or fluorescent material for enabling the lights of another vehicle to illuminate the message. The signaling device may be stored within the vehicle by attaching the signaling device to a sun visor of the vehicle with a clip. The signaling device may include a plurality of display members for conveying the message and at least one attachment member for attaching together the display members. The signaling device further includes a handle for enabling a person to manipulate the sign. The attachment members and the handle may be constructed of a flexible material for enabling the signaling device to be folded during storage. A fastener may be attached to the display members for securing together the components of the signaling device during storage of the signaling device. Unfortunately, this prior art example is not designed for promoting courtesy among drivers.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,905,434 to Steffan discloses a vehicle communications system having a remote control unit installed in the interior of a vehicle and a display unit located on the exterior of the vehicle. The display unit has an input from the remote control unit and an input from a vehicle interface module that has inputs from the vehicle such as the braking system and the turning signal system. The remote control unit is controllable by the driver in the vehicle and has a table of preset and preprogrammed messages selectable by the driver. The driver selects a message to be displayed and sends the message to the display unit. Any input to the vehicle interface module from the vehicle signaling systems overrides the signal input from the remote control unit unless the display unit is mounted on the front of the vehicle. The driver can select a message from a table of messages that are sequentially displayed on the remote control unit. The table of messages is stored on a flash memory in the remote unit and in a flash memory in the display unit. The table of messages in the remote unit is programmable via a USB programming port. The table of messages in the display unit can be programmed via an RF signal sent to the display unit by the remote unit. Unfortunately, this prior art example is not designed for promoting courtesy among drivers.
Accordingly, the present invention is disclosed in order to overcome the above noted shortcomings. The present invention satisfies such a need by providing a device that is convenient and easy to use, lightweight yet durable in design, and designed for allowing a driver of an existing vehicle to convey a predetermined visual message to another driver of another existing vehicle during driving conditions. The electronic message board provides a unique way to acknowledge the courtesy of another driver by displaying the words “thank you” in the rear window of an automobile. The present invention is simple to use, inexpensive, and designed for many years of repeated use.